Interesting Facts About Marsupial Mammals

With more than 330 species in existence, marsupials are so interesting because of the great diversity among them. Some marsupials are burrowing animals, while others live in trees or on the ground. Some species can move at astounding speeds, while others are very slow. The commonality they share is their unique anatomical and reproductive features.

  1. What Makes Marsupials Different From Other Mammals

    • Marsupials have short gestation periods ranging between two to five weeks because their placentas don't fully develop. Following this, the young fetus is born and left to crawl up the mother's abdomen into a pouch which contains a nipple to provide its sustenance for further development. The baby, called a joey, will remain in the pouch for several months until it is strong and large enough to take care of itself.

    What Do Marsupials Look Like When They Are Born

    • Because joeys are only in their mother's womb for such a short time, when they are born they are only the size of a jelly bean. Blind without fully developed eyes they use smell to find the pouch, crawling up the abdomen into the pouch and attaching themselves to the nipple with their highly-developed forelimbs. Joeys also need the protection of the pouch to keep them warm because they are born without hair.

    Where Marsupials Live

    • Marsupials are classified as either American or Australian. American marsupials are found in North, Central and South America, while the Australian type of marsupials can be found in Australia, Papua New Guinea and smaller islands in Oceania. Only two species of marsupials live in North America, while there are 90 species in South and Central America. In Papua New Guinea there are 53 species of marsupials and there are 120 species in Australia.

    Which Animals Are Marsupials

    • Marsupials come in a range of shapes and sizes. Smaller species of marsupials include the monito del monte, quoll, Tasmanian devil, dunnart, bilby, numbat, bandicoot, marsupial mole, pygmy possum, potoroo, betong and rat kangaroo. Opossum, shrew opossum, koala, wombat, possum varieties and glider varieties are medium-sized marsupials. Larger marsupials include kangaroos, wallabies and the now-extinct thylacine, commonly referred to as the Tasmanian Tiger.